Our challenging economic times are great for one thing; sharpening thinking.

There is no room for coasting in the current market conditions and it will be those who continue to hunt for opportunities, and solutions out of the problem that will come out on top.

Discussions with a client in the retail sector in the past weeks brought home to me once again the immense value of bringing property considerations to the table in business strategy planning. Decisions around property leases and location can be a trigger to cut to the quick about the direction and strategy for a business.

I am provocative when advising clients. I ask a few deep and searching questions about where they are heading with their business so I can draw up a high quality plan advising on property location and lease conditions. It never ceases to amaze me how working with my process and thinking in depth about future needs can trigger exploration of where a business is really heading in the future and what opportunities lie ahead.

In this particular case, discussions about a rent review and business location prompted a review of the business as a whole and where changes might be beneficial going forward.

The market may well be depressed right now, but the courageous will be thinking ahead, and planning for growth in the medium term future when markets pick up.

I’d like to open this issue up for discussion. I believe collaborating with ideas and experiences will collectively benefit all. If you have some comments on my regular columns, some experience or advice you would like to add, just click on the “Comments” link below and leave your reply. Then everyone can benefit from the discussion.

This entry was posted on Monday 28th July 2008 and is filed under Property Strategy. Both comments and pings are currently closed.